Various proposals have been made to assist a vehicle driver traveling over a roadway so as to maximize the driving comfort and minimize the driving risks. One of the highly stressful maneuvers that a vehicle driver has to make on a regular basis is changing lanes. When a lane change is desired, the vehicle driver has to determine if there is any other vehicle (object vehicle) in the target lane. The ego vehicle must move to the new lane by keeping an adequate distance to the object vehicle to safely complete the lane change without alarming the driver of the object vehicle. When changing lanes, the vehicle driver is often required to accelerate or decelerate the ego vehicle to keep an adequate distance to the object vehicle for the whole duration of the lane change maneuver.
The vehicle driver of the ego vehicle also have to watch out if there is any vehicle traveling ahead of the ego vehicle so that the vehicle in the same lane may not interfere with the lane change maneuver of the ego vehicle.
Therefore, the vehicle driver is required to pay attention to both the vehicle in the current lane and the vehicle or vehicles in the new lane before and during the lane change maneuver. This causes a significant stress to the vehicle driver, and there is a demand for systems that assist the vehicle driver in changing lanes in an optimum fashion.
Patent Document 1 describes a method for supporting the driver in controlling a vehicle, in particular a vehicle equipped with environment sensors which indicate continuously the environment information and the actual risk potential. The proposed method indicates the current risk potential but does not initiate any countermeasures or a recommendation as to how to reduce the current risk potential. Therefore, this prior art does not provide any assistance as to how to react on a real-time basis.
Patent Document 2 describes a method to inform a vehicle driver by a driver information system consisting of a sensor, an evaluation unit and an optical visualization unit. The visualization unit displays the ego vehicle and the existence and nonexistence of a risk potential including the direction of the potential risk. The method indicates the current risk potential and the direction thereto but does initiate any countermeasures or a recommendation as to how to reduce the current risk potential. Therefore, this prior art does not provide any assistance as to how to react on a real-time basis.
Patent Document 3 discloses a vehicle driving assist system which is configured to convey a risk potential relating to a preceding obstacle to a driver using both visual information and haptic information. For example, the vehicle driving assist system executes accelerator pedal actuation reaction force control such that an actuation reaction force is generated in accordance with a risk potential that expresses a degree of convergence between the host vehicle and a preceding obstacle. In order to convey to the driver in a clear manner which preceding obstacle such as a vehicle is an obstacle targeted by the risk potential calculation and the reaction force control, the system displays a reference frame or marker at a position corresponding to the targeted obstacle. At least one of size, color, shape and brightness of the marker is set in accordance with the risk potential.
This method highlights (for instance, by a rectangle, circle, brightness, etc.) the relevant object selected by the driver assist system (such as the relevant object selected for the distance control by an adaptive cruise control system). In addition, vehicles with a high risk potential are marked by a warning symbol. Nevertheless, this prior invention does not initiate any countermeasures or a recommendation as to how to reduce the current risk potential. Therefore, it is still unclear for the driver as to how to react correctly in the given situation.
Patent Document 4 discloses a warning indication displaying device for aiding a truck driver. The device displays a plurality of bars include one that represents a relative speed of a detected object. The device is incorporated in a mirror arrangement with a mirror plate. Detecting units are provided for detection of the distance to an object in a motor vehicle rear area, distance to the object on an adjacent lane and/or presence of an object in a dead angle range. The warning indication produced by the distance of object detection is displayed in the mirror plate. The bar display is provided for representation of the relative speed of the detected object.
This method informs the driver about vehicles driving on the adjacent lanes by showing the relative speed and/or distance in the bar display. The invention does not initiate any countermeasure or a recommendation as to how to reduce the current risk potential. Therefore, it is still unclear for the driver as to how to react correctly in the given situation.
Patent Document 5 discloses a display unit for an assistance or support system for transport means. The aim of the invention is to provide at least one device that is assigned to transport means, in particular at least one motor vehicle, notably for the intuitive detection of the operating and/or system status of at least one assistance or support system that is designed for the transversal guidance of the transport means, whereby the consumer acceptance of the assistance or support system is increased, for example, by the option of an evaluation of the system behavior at any time by the driver of the transport means. To achieve this, the invention is provided with at least one display element for displaying the respective operating and/or system status. The display element can be configured as a steering wheel, trapezoidal lines or as a double arrow. The activity of the device can be displayed via a display element.
The invention pertains to a system indicating the current system state (e.g. on or active) of a lateral assistance systems, and does not provide any information regarding other vehicles or other objects surrounding the ego vehicle.
Patent Document 6 discloses a visibility improvement device in a motor vehicle, and this device includes a processing unit configured to detect a road profile from acquired optical signals and control a signaling arrangement accordingly. The device has at least one infrared sensitive image sensor system for acquiring optical signals from the motor vehicle's surroundings, at least one signaling arrangement for generating driver information and at least one processing unit for controlling the signaling arrangement depending on the acquired optical signals. The processing unit has an arrangement for detecting the road profile from the optical signal and controlling the signaling arrangement accordingly. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) a method of improving the view in a motor vehicle; and (b) a computer program.
The invention disclosed in this prior patent publication indicates the course of the road and additional objects (such as vehicles, pedestrians, etc.) but does not initiate any countermeasures or a recommendation as to how to reduce the current risk potential. Therefore, it is still unclear for the driver as to how to react correctly in the given situation.